It's Official: Piers Morgan to Replace Larry King

Morgan, best known as a judge on America's Got Talent, will take over King's prime time slot debuting a "a candid, in-depth interview program" on CNN in January, the network announced Wednesday.

"I have watched Larry King Live for much of the last 25 years, and dreamed of one day filling the legendary suspenders of the man I consider to be the greatest TV interviewer of them all," Morgan, 45, said. This summer, King, 76, announced he was stepping down from the program he hosted since 1985.

British journalist Morgan saw his career surge working as the youngest editor ever at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, before settling in for a nine-year stint as editor-in-chief of the Daily Mirror in 1995. His hosting credits across the pond include chat shows on the BBC and ITV, as well as a judging stint on Britain's Got Talent.